How determine how long you have had HCV

[maggiepie471]

I had a transfusion of two pints blood in 1982. I have never used drugs, social drinker and now have been diagnosed with HCV. My load is 2,850.000 at this time. No symptoms ever or now and ultrasound came back clean with no damage to liver or any other organ. What now? Am I correct that I have had that long and no symptoms?

[maggiepie471]

I am still trying to adjust to the whole thing each day. Feeling that keeping busy helps to not stress and think about it all the time. From what I read of the side affects, and me being alone, it just not seem to be the best course for me.

Unfortunately, the depression would probably get me. I am not normally but do get the wave of it every few weeks. Not bad but it is something to think about.
I am suddenly realizing that possibly some of the memory stuff, that has been happening to me, could be related.  Sometimes can't remember the simplist name of a person I know. I have been concerned about that-could be the brain part of all of this. I am just trying to get motivated to do anything-that is today. Diet definitely changed with no problem and gave the alcohol that was high in the cupboard all away. That was easy. So thanks to all of you- I am sure you know this is the best connection right now. I don't thik my friends get it at all---YET! THey will I am not keeping it a secret.  Educating is the better way to go now.

[pooh55811]

I don't think they try to guess how many years it takes for no fibrosis to progress to Stage 4 fibrosis. The fibrosis/liver damage is not linear. It can remain at no fibrosis for decades and then all of a sudden take off. Or it can remain at Stage 1 fibrosis and then suddenly progress faster. One thing that is known is that as one gets older, the fibrosis generally progresses faster.

If the 5-7 years was true, many of us on the forum would be dead by now. Many of us have had it for 30, 35, 40 years or more. Yet many of us are still at Stage 1 or Stage 2. Conversely, some people have progressed from Stage 1 to Stage 3 in 3 years.

Hep C is insidious. A person could get a false sense of security by thinking that, since they are at Stage 2, they have 10-14 years before Stage 4 arrives. Maybe, maybe not. I am at Stage 2 and I sure am not be betting on staying at Stage 2 for 5-7 years, then Stage 3 for 5-7 years, which means Stage 4 in 10-14 years. My guess is that I will be at Stage 3-4 in a much shorter time (which is why I am treating now and not waiting).  The only way to know for sure how fast one is progressing is to do a biopsy or some other acceptable test and continue to monitor the liver.

[Diana66]

As a rule of thumb I have been told that each fibrosis grade will take around 5-7 years to progress. So for an F3 that will be 15-21 years since contamination. But then you never know

[orphanedhawk]

I hope you realize that it really doesn't matter how long you've had or even how you got it. Also, your viral load is not important other than during treatment to gauge how well you're responding.
Viral load count does not equate damage of the liver.
Mine was only 750,000 when diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis.
Others with high viral loads have healthy livers.

What is important is the health of your liver, and what you decide to do about the hep C.
Good luck going forward.

[maggiepie471]

Yes, I have now learned all that you said. I actually talked with my Doc from the blood transfusion, today, and he confirmed it was actually 1981.He was honestly upset about it. He is a Gyn, so does not know all about this. However, he knows one of the best Gastrologist and recommended him to me. That was great. And, now I have learned about fibrosure and biopsy to figure out the best way to go. As much as I don't like the biopsy idea, it sounds like that is a better way to go. I know my viral load is 2 1/2 million so I am progressing and learning bigtime. Just trying to relax and lower the stress level. Changing the diet even more (which was not bad). Thanks for comments-it does help.

[HectorSF]

Very few of us with hepatitis C can point to the incident that caused them to be infected with hepatitis C. We can guess, but we will never know 100% as hepatitis C (HCV) was only discovered in 1989. But it really doesn't matter. All that matters is that we are infected and that we need to decide what we want to do about a virus that over 20-40 yes can destroy our liver.

As OH said for the vast majority of persons infected with chronic hepatitis C there are no symptoms. Symptoms is not a way to judge hepatitis C or early liver disease which also has no symptoms.

You seemed to be misinformed about the use of ultrasound. Ultrasounds are not used to diagnose the degree of liver damage. Ultrasound can be used to look for anatomical abnormalities and blow flow issues but not the degree of fibrosis. Only by having a liver biopsy will you know how damaged your liver is from the hepatitis C.

Please see a gastroenterologist who can determine the actual status of your hepatitis C and liver disease. If you wait until you have symptoms it could be too late to treat the hepatitis C as OH said.

Good luck!

Hector

[maggiepie471]

You are right. I now have all the info I can get from my small hospital who has informed me about how many people really have this and still don't know. I did get a staph infection, in the hospital 1982 and almost died--I hear from my folks. I almost wonder if that could have happened from the HC being put into my blood.
You are making me think-- and I have now recently become allergic to   tomatoes. I also have had two bouts of pnemonia in the last three years--mostly caused by stress, but knowing this-definitely could be related. The only thing otherwise would be not sleeping a solid 7-9 hrs-so not good rest. I felt so much better with the ultrasound being so good but the biopsy I am sure is next.  

[nan535]

My husband only found out about his Hep C virus 32 years after he contracted it from blood transfusions for bleeding ulcers. He finally developed some symptoms over the course of a year in 2010 which in retrospect all indicated signs severe  liver damage (cirrhosis) including: deep red/orange colored urine, vomiting,  hand tremors, confusion and disorientation (hepatic encephalopathy) .
Hep C is a very nasty virus and if you have the opportunity to get treatment, I advise you to do so.  The treatment is no picnic for sure but the alternative is far worse.

Nan

[Tekelcat]

Yes, pooh, I think you are right. There is a lot of mainly anecdotal evidence that chronic HCV infection for a long time causes all sorts of other health issues. I suspect the old "you're more likely to die with HCV than of it" will be shown incorrect now that the baby boomers are reaching 30 and 40 years of infection. I'm about 40 years post infection I think.

[pooh55811]

Yes, you have probably had it since your blood transfusions in 1982. Blood was not routinely screened until about 1992.

I have had Hepatitis C for 37 years if I got it from the Gamma Globulin inj. I had in 1975 and for probably 30-32 years if I got it from an occupational needle stick.

I had no symptoms, or so I thought, until recent years when I noticed a lot of fatigue. However, the Hep C did cause me to have systemic Vasculitis in 1993 at which time I was very, very ill with Pericarditis, Pleuritis, and Hemolytic Anemia, and I was on steroids for a year and off work for 7 months. At the time I did not know it was from Hep C (no one was testing then ... the test had only recently come out) but the doc said it was a virus of some sort. Now I know.

After doing a lot of reading it is becoming clear to me that Hep C does not necessarily just sit there doing nothing. Hep C can cause, trigger, and/or aggravate all sorts of medical problems including autoimmune disorders, and many, many other common diseases. In retrospect, I now think the Hep C caused my sudden development of allergies and asthma at age 35-36. There is really no other explanation. Of course, I did not know that way back then.

I think you will have a better idea of which course of action to take once you see the Hepatologist and after you have had your biopsy.

[orphanedhawk]

Hep C is often asymptomatic.
I had no idea I had it until I had advanced cirrhosis. Unfortunately, that is not a rare thing to happen. People can have it for 30 years or more and not know it. And people who don't have live damage can die with it, and not of it, never knowing they had it.

Many people have no idea how long they've had it or how they contracted it.
It's not a very logical virus, which frustrates us humans:)